(JKPL) — Joeten-Kiyu Public Library joins the international library, archives, museum, and Indigenous cultural heritage community in mourning the passing of Susan Feller, founding president and chief executive officer of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums or ATALM. She passed away peacefully on June 18, 2026.
The world has lost a remarkable visionary, advocate, mentor, and friend whose life’s work transformed the landscape of indigenous cultural preservation and strengthened the voices of native and indigenous communities around the globe.
For Joeten-Kiyu Public Library and the people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Susan’s passing is deeply personal. Susan believed that the stories, languages, histories, and traditions of Indigenous peoples deserved not only to be preserved, but celebrated. She understood that every community — no matter how geographically distant — had an important voice in the global conversation surrounding cultural heritage.
Because of her leadership, generosity, and unwavering belief in collaboration, the Pacific Islands found a welcoming home within the ATALM family.
Susan was instrumental in ensuring that representatives from the Pacific Islands, including Joeten-Kiyu Public Library, participated in the historic first and second Pacific Island delegations to the ATALM International Conference.
These opportunities were far more than conference attendance — they opened doors to lifelong partnerships, meaningful collaboration, professional development, and cultural exchange with Indigenous communities from across North America and around the world.
Those experiences affirmed what Susan always believed: that Indigenous communities are strongest when they learn from one another, support one another, and work together to protect the cultures that define them.
Through her visionary leadership, Susan built bridges across oceans, connecting the Northern Mariana Islands and the broader Pacific region with an international network dedicated to preserving Indigenous identity, language, knowledge, and history.
She inspired librarians, archivists, museum professionals, educators, and cultural practitioners to think beyond institutions and to see themselves as caretakers of community memory, protectors of ancestral knowledge, and champions for future generations.
Susan’s influence will continue to live on through every cultural program that strengthens community identity, every library that preserves local history, every archive that safeguards historical records, every museum that honors Indigenous traditions, and every young person who discovers pride in their heritage because someone believed their story mattered.
Erlinda C. Naputi, library director of Joeten-Kiyu Public Library, reflected on Susan’s extraordinary legacy. “Susan Feller believed in the Pacific long before many others recognized the importance of our voices on the global stage. She welcomed us with open arms, treated us as family, and created opportunities that forever changed our professional journeys. Because of Susan, our Pacific Island librarians, archivists, museum professionals, and cultural leaders found not only a place within ATALM, but a community that embraced our cultures, respected our traditions, and celebrated our stories. We will forever be grateful for her friendship, her vision, and her unwavering commitment to Indigenous peoples everywhere. Her legacy will continue to guide our work for generations to come.”
Throughout her distinguished career, Susan quietly transformed countless lives through her compassion, humility, and servant leadership. She never sought recognition for herself. Instead, she devoted her life to uplifting others, strengthening communities, and ensuring that indigenous cultures would thrive for generations to come.
Joeten-Kiyu Public Library extends its heartfelt condolences to Susan’s family, friends, the ATALM Board of Directors and staff, tribal nations, Indigenous communities, and the countless colleagues whose lives were touched by her kindness and leadership.
“As we remember Susan, we also celebrate a life of extraordinary purpose. Her legacy lives on in every partnership she nurtured, every community she empowered, every cultural institution she strengthened, and every indigenous voice she helped amplify.
“Joeten-Kiyu Public Library will honor Susan by continuing the work she inspired: promoting literacy, preserving the rich history and culture of the Northern Mariana Islands, safeguarding the stories of the Chamorro and Carolinian people, building meaningful partnerships across the Pacific and beyond, and ensuring that future generations inherit the knowledge, traditions, and cultural identity that define who we are.
“From the shores of Saipan to indigenous communities around the world, Susan Feller’s legacy will forever remind us that culture builds communities, stories connect humanity, and one person’s vision can change the world.
“Si Yu’us Ma’åse’, Susan. Your friendship, your kindness, your leadership, and your unwavering belief in Indigenous peoples will forever remain in our hearts.”
